Dotonbori — The Yakuza Ledger
Uncover the hidden ledger that exposed Osaka’s underworld bosses and solve the Sokaiya Affair before the city’s secrets vanish.
📱 1 to 10 phones · 1 team per phone · Independent codes
In the neon‑soaked streets of Dotonbori, Osaka’s underworld once wrote its rules in blood and ledgers
Dotonbori — The Yakuza Ledger
You are Rihei Asada, an 18th-century Osaka cartographer, tasked with deciphering a coded ledger hidden within the city's historic districts.
Your mission begins at Eb
Dive into the secret alleys of Osaka, where the yakuza clans' past and Dotonbori's thriving trade intertwine in an augmented reality treasure hunt.
The story that haunts this land
Your quest for the yakuza ledger begins in the heart of Dotonbori, Osaka's historic district. The Dotonbori Canal, excavated in 1612 by Yasui Doton, was the vital artery that made Osaka a major commercial center. Ebisu Bridge, rebuilt in 1945 after World War II bombings, is dedicated to Ebisu, Shinto deity of commercial prosperity, revered since the Edo period (1603-1868). Its 22-meter width and 27-meter length of reinforced steel make it a crucial point for understanding the evolution of Japan's Meiji commercial heritage. The Glico Sign, Dotonbori's emblem since 1935 and rebuilt in 1955 to a height of 20 meters, is a key landmark for the continuation of your investigation.
The exploration then leads you to Shinsekai, a district developed between 1912 and 1923 as a modern post-Meiji commercial zone. Its area of approximately 0.8 km² is characterized by a high density of small traditional shops and yakitori restaurants. Shinsekai preserves Taisho-style commercial architecture (1912-1926) with its brick and wood facades, offering a striking contrast to Midosuji Avenue, laid out between 1911 and 1920 over 4 km long and 100 meters wide, designed on European urban models. These locations, often referred to as 'Sotenbori' and 'Shinseicho' in the Yakuza/Like a Dragon video game series, resonate with the secrets you are trying to uncover.
Your journey then takes you to Tsutenkaku Tower, built in 1912 and rebuilt in 1956 after its destruction in 1943. From its 103-meter height, with its observation deck at 91 meters, this tower is a strong marker of Osaka's resilience. Located 1.2 km from Ebisu Bridge, it offers a unique perspective on the Shinsekai district. The golden statue of Billiken, a lucky deity installed in 1912 and recreated in 1956, is a key element of local culture and may hold part of the ledger's clues. This tower, with its history of reconstruction, symbolizes the city of Osaka's ability to rise from its ashes, just like the secrets you are unearthing.
Continue your investigation towards the Namba Hachiman Shrine, a Shinto sanctuary founded in 1662, dedicated to Susanoo no Mikoto, deity of storms and courage. Located at 2-chome Namba, Chuo-ku, Osaka, 800 meters from Ebisu Bridge, its 8-meter high red lacquered wooden torii is a gateway to an uninterrupted 360-year history, marked by the annual Namba Matsuri festival. The ledger could be linked to the ancient traditions of this place. Midosuji, Osaka's main avenue, lined with over 4,000 ginkgo trees replanted in 1995, leads you to the Osaka Stock Exchange Building, founded in 1878. Its neo-Renaissance granite and red brick facade, restored in 2013, is classified as municipal architectural heritage and was a historic financial center of Kansai.
Your quest concludes with the revelation of the ledger's secrets. Nakanoshima Park, created in 1891 on a river island and housing the Osaka Municipal Museum of Art and the Osaka Central Public Hall (1904), represents the confluence of Osaka's nature and culture. This 1.5 km walking tour has allowed you to traverse Japan's Meiji commercial heritage and understand the history of Osaka. As a visitor to Osaka, you have not only discovered the monuments of Kansai but also the hidden references of 'Sotenbori' Yakuza culture, making this outdoor escape game in Dotonbori an interactive tour of local heritage. You take with you the stories of the merchants, deities, and clans that shaped this unique city.
A game, a guided tour and a heritage guide — all in one
You're not just buying an escape game. You're carrying a living guide — historical anecdotes, forgotten legends, key monuments, hidden architecture — unfolding as you go.
At each stop, places ordinary guides miss — secret façades, sculpted crests, alleys steeped in history.
Every riddle is rooted in a real historical fact or local legend. You leave with dozens of stories to tell.
Learn to read buildings — flamboyant Gothic, Baroque, Art Deco — like a real art historian, while having fun.
Walk through the city like a novel's character — every alley becomes a stage, every square a theatre.
A voice walks with you at every step, tells the story of each place, reads clues, adds a cinematic feel.
Keep access to the guide & game for 1 year. Come back any time, share it with friends.
« You will not leave this city the way you entered it. »
How does it work?
Explore the city on foot solving puzzles based on real historical facts. No locked room — the city is your playground.
No app to download. Play directly from your browser. Guided step by step, at your own pace.
One purchase per phone is enough. Play with family, friends or as a couple — everyone participates.
Point your phone at the façade: a historical character appears and speaks to you in your language. Golden letters magically write themselves on the wall to reveal the puzzle answer.
Stuck? Progressive personalised hints. The character repeats the puzzle on demand — at your own pace.
French, English, German, Spanish, Italian + 27 other languages auto-translated by AI.
Want to go deeper?
Places tied to your adventure — optional entries, totally up to you · per person
The Route
8 stages through the city
The gameplay: AR, camera, hidden clues
At each stop, open your phone camera: an augmented reality character appears on the façade and speaks your language. Hunt the clue — it materializes as golden letters on the real wall or floats in front of you. When you find it, the phone vibrates, an AR chest opens and reveals your answer fragment. 8 stops, 8 clues to find with the camera, 1 final code.
The stops on your route are a surprise. You'll discover them one by one, guided by your phone, starting from the meeting point.
How does it work with a group?
One phone = one team. Pick the number at checkout (1 to 10).
Solo, or a group sharing the screen. One team, one code.
Family, couple, or 2-3 teams competing. Each phone has its own code and its own score.
Friends, bachelor/bachelorette, small office outing — each their own code, each plays at their own pace. Tiered pricing then €6 flat per phone from the 6th.
- ✓All codes are independent — play at the same time OR separately, each team advances at its own pace.
- ✓Leaderboard between your teams + global game leaderboard — each score appears in the public ranking.
- ✓More than 10 phones or need a personalized quest? Discover custom tours.
Ready to live this adventure?
Get my code · 12€No calendar booking. Code sent immediately by email.
🔒 Secure payment · Code in 5 min · Free cancellation
Practical info
Why this route?
Urban Investigation
Dive into the heart of Osaka to uncover a corruption network.
Fascinating Metropolis
Explore iconic districts, from bustling alleys to business centers.
Secret Ledger
Decipher the 'Black Lotus Ledger,' the proof of the Sokaiya's misdeeds.
In the shadow of Osaka's skyscrapers, the secret of the powerful awaits revelation.
Reconstruct the lost ledger. Break the silence. Expose the truth.
9 features nobody else has
OddballTrip combines gamified play, augmented reality and AI. All our competitors deliver 1 or 2 of these angles. We deliver all 5.
AR treasure chest
A golden chest floats in front of the monument. Tap → opening animation → reveals a secret message.
AR narrator character
Point your phone at the façade: a knight, witch, monk, sailor, detective or ghost appears full-screen and speaks to you in your language with their dedicated ElevenLabs voice (each character has their own unique voice) — your living guide.
Magic golden letters
At the puzzle climax, golden letters magically write themselves on the real wall — that's the puzzle answer. An unforgettable visual effect.
Written + audio narration
Every puzzle available as text AND voice-over: read at your own pace or listen eyes-free while walking. Great in groups and for accessibility.
360° radar + vibration
A mini-radar shows the target even behind you, and the phone vibrates when you aim in the right direction.
Heritage storytelling
Every puzzle weaves in real historical facts (architecture, era, anecdotes). You learn by playing — like a gamified audioguide.
Progressive AI hints
3 levels of AI-generated help: vibe → where to look → answer format. You're never stuck.
AR selfie memento
At the end of the game, capture a selfie with OddballTrip banner + mascot, shareable on Instagram, TikTok.
Zero app to install
PWA technology: open the link, it plays in your browser. Same quality as an app, no App Store hassle.
Frequently asked questions
Q01Do I need to download an app?
No, never. You get a link, you click, it plays in your browser. That's the point of a PWA: same as an app, without the hassle.
Q02Does it work offline?
GPS yes (handled by your phone). Maps yes (tiles cached). AI and hints need an intermittent 4G connection.
Q03How long does a game take?
1 h 30 to 2 h 30 depending on your pace. The timer runs but only for the leaderboard — you play at your own tempo.
Q04What happens if I'm stuck?
You get 3 levels of hints per puzzle (increasing penalty). If truly stuck, you can skip the step (45-min penalty but you keep going).
Q05What's the age range?
From 12 without an adult, from 6 with an adult reading puzzles. Works for families, couples, friend groups, companies.
Q06What if my city isn't in the catalogue?
Pre-register or contact us — we'll email you as soon as your city is live.
Q07What is augmented reality exactly?
Point your phone at the façade: a historical character appears full-screen and speaks to you in your language. At the puzzle climax, golden letters magically write themselves on the real wall — that's your answer. After each puzzle solved, a treasure chest floats in front of you. Seeing is believing.
Avis des aventuriers
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Your turn to play
Dive into the secret alleys of Osaka, where the yakuza clans' past and Dotonbori's thriving trade intertwine in an augmented reality treasure hunt.
1 purchase = 1 phone. Play several on the same device.
No calendar booking. Code sent immediately by email.
🔒Secure payment · Code in 5 min · Free cancellation
🪙+24 TripCoins granted with your booking
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